A wild duck found on a beach in Benajarafe, first case of avian flu in Málaga

A specimen of marbled teal, a wild duck and one of the most endangered species in Europe, found in September on Benajarafe beach is the first confirmed case of avian flu in Málaga. "This is the first historical positive in wild fauna in the province," provincial environmental sources confirmed this Wednesday, noting that it is unknown if there have been cases in domestic fauna.

The specimen, found dead on the beach of the municipality of Vélez-Málaga in the middle of August, was transferred to the Animal Species Recovery Center. "At the end of August, migratory birds that cross the Strait are seen in the municipal area of Benajarafe. A bird was detected and taken by the services of the Junta de Andalucía to check the cause of death. It has been confirmed with the respective analyses that it was due to avian flu," confirmed Juan Fernández Olmo, Councilor for Health at the Vélez-Málaga Town Hall, to this newspaper.

Fernández clarified that it is "an isolated case." "We do not suspect that there is a focus. We understand that it is a punctual situation of a migratory bird. Either it stopped because it was sick, or it was flying and fell in Benajarafe. It is not a bird from a park or from a residential home. We do not have it in our inventory," he explained.

At the time, actions were taken according to the protocols established by Order APA/2442/2006, of July 27, the Spanish regulation that establishes specific protection measures against avian influenza in the national territory. The municipal health councilor specified that in the area of parks and gardens, "preventative measures are being carried out: prior surveillance, trained workers collect them with a PPE or the communication system with park users."

The positive for avian flu serotype H5N1 was reported on September 26 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as can be read on the institution's website. The duck species is in severe danger of extinction. It is a small bird (measuring between 39 and 42 centimeters in length).

In September, alarms went off in the city when numerous dead birds appeared in Huelin Park. Local residents reported it and the Málaga City Council ended up closing it while analyses were conducted. Eventually, the results of the analyses performed on the samples taken from the ducks at the National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture, were negative.

The specimens showed a high viral load of Newcastle Disease, which only affects birds without any "incidence or negative impact on public health" and which at this time of year usually causes the death of wild birds in this space and in other parts of the city.